Macarthur Rams scored a late consolation goal in their 3-2 defeat at the hands of Western Sydney Wanderers, but the final scoreline flattered the 2024 champions.
While it was an improved performance from the heavy loss in round six of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) Women’s NSW competition, the alarm bells are probably going off at Lynwood Park.
Ironically, the Rams grabbed the lead after a flying start to the round seven clash in front of their home fans.
Halle Callow raced toward goal and picked out Tea Mucenski for an easy one-touch finish 20 minutes in to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
But it was all downhill from there as the visitors scored three unanswered goals to go to a 3-1 advantage by the 82nd minute.
Wanderers equalised six minutes before half time, and added a second 22 minutes into the second half.
With her side urgently needing a goal, Callow took the responsibility into her own hands to score a superb strike after racing down and cutting in to beat the keeper at the near post in the 94th minute.
But it was too little, too late.
In other NPL Women’s NSW competition results, Bulls FC Academy showed real fight to come back from 3-1 down and equalise late on in a thrilling 3-3 draw with the high flying Illawarra Stingrays at Northbridge Oval (pictured above).
Stingrays, the NPL Women’s sole South Coast representative has built on their commendable 2024 performance by stepping it up in 2025, and look to be real title contenders at this stage of the season.
The Bulls kicked off the Easter weekend with the first goal of the round, an assured Isabella Coco-Di Sipio penalty in the 19th minute that was planted just out of the reach of Stingrays goalkeeper Kiara Rochaix.
Ten minutes later Stingrays found an equaliser as Hailey Bicknell played a perfect touch into the path of Siobhan Edwards, who outpaced the Bulls defenders and confidently buried her strike into the bottom left corner.
Nine minutes later the Stingrays doubled their lead, going up 3-1 ealy in the second half.
However, the Bulls had other plans, and would have Coco-Di Sipio to thank for a terrific finish on the edge of the box that put them back in the match.
That was 3-2 in the 82nd minute, but there was more to come from resilient Bulls who were desperate to salvage a point.
Their captain Elizabeth Grey snuck in at the back post to take advantage of the Stingrays failing to clear their lines from a corner, with 3-3 the final result.
